Improvement in devices for detaching horses from vehicles



l. WEIKE'RT.

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THE GRAPHIC B0.PHOT0.-LITH.39 50H MK PLACLNJ.

TATES ATENT QFFIOE,

JOHN WEIKERT, OF INDIANAPOLIS, INDIANA.

I IMPROVEMENT IN DEVICES FOR DETACHING HORSES FROM VEHICLES.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 16 L998, dated April 13, 1875; application'filed July 11, 1874.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, JOHN WEIKERT, of Indianapolis, in the county of Marion and State of Indiana, have invented a certain Device for Detaching Horses from Vehicles, of which the following is a specification:

This invention consists in the construction and arrangement of the device for the purpose above named, and which will hereinafter be described in detail.

Figure 1 is an elevation or rear view of one end of a whiffletree having the detaching device embodying my invention attached thereto, the cap or covering of the working parts being shown in section, so as to clearly expose their construction or arrangement.

A is a whiffletree, B, a straight, smooth pin inserted in the ends of the Whiffletree, on which to hitch the tugs. O is a horizontal bar, having on its outer end the right-angular projection e, that is forked to straddle the pin B, and is designed for pushing the tug off the pin. A portion of the bar (3 passes through a partition, to, in the cap or covering D, against which one end of a spiral spring, E, rests, the other end of the spring resting against a pin near the inner end of bar G, arranged to keep the bar drawn into the cap, so that the parte rests against the end of the whiffletree. Levers 1 formed as shown, are pivoted for a fulcrum in the cap D, the outer end being so formed as to rest against the ends of pins B to keep the tugs in place, and the inner having an angular projection, 2', that engages With a projection, c, on the upper side of bar G, the whole being so arranged that, by pulling on the straps Gr that are attached near the outer ends of levers F, the latter Will be raised up and push out the bar 0, and thereby push the traces or tugs H off the pins B, and thus detach the horse from the whiftletree. The action of the spiral spring E is to return the bar 0 and lever F to their original position, and there to hold them in ordinary driving. The tugs may be readily hitched to the Whiftletree by raising the levers F a little. It will be seen that the cap D not only serves to keep the working parts from liability to be obstructed by accumulations of mud or other material, but that it also serves as the means by which the device may be made, as a separate article of manufacture, to be conveniently attached to any Whiffletree, the only change required being to substitute the straight pins B for those in ordinary use. This device may be attached to either the top or rear of the Whiftletree, or to any intermediate position.

I claim as my invention The detaching device composed of the elements 0 D E F G, combined to operate substantially as set forth.

Witnesses: JOHN WEIKERT.

O. F. MAYHEW, G. M. LEVETTE. 

